Hospice volunteer training slated

Niagara Hospice Director of Volunteer Services Alice Beck, at right, hands off a comfort tote to Hospice volunteer Ellen Gardner to deliver to a Hospice home care patient.

Niagara Hospice volunteers
provided over 16,000 hours of support last year doing everything from
delivering meals to patients with nutritional needs to helping with clerical
and fundraising tasks. Volunteers make up 5 percent of the clinical workforce
hours at Niagara Hospice, as mandated by Medicare.

With a new volunteer training
coming up in April, Niagara Hospice Director of Volunteer Services Alice Beck
is looking for compassionate individuals who want to make a difference in the
lives of Niagara County residents as they make their final journey.

"We have many volunteer
opportunities available," she said. "Positions include patient-related and
non-patient related jobs. Volunteers are especially needed to assist with meal
and comfort tote deliveries, hairdressing, and to simply visit with patients."

Visits take place in the
patient's or caregiver's home, at Niagara Hospice House, and at area long-term
care facilities where hospice patients reside. Other opportunities include
helping with clerical tasks and fundraising efforts.

Veterans are also needed to serve
as hospice volunteers as part of the We Honor Veterans initiative recently
launched by Niagara Hospice in partnership with the WNY Veteran's
Administration.

Tricia Degan, director of
marketing and public relations, said, "Our hospice patients who are veterans
often don't talk about their service, but we have found that when we pair them
up with a volunteer who is also a veteran, a special camaraderie is shared and
patients find comfort and even relief being able to talk about their experience
in the service with another veteran."

Beck also said that area high
school teens are needed to carry on with the Legacy Videos project. By
producing Legacy Videos, teens help patients record their life story, providing
the patient and their family something special to cherish forever.

Niagara Hospice will hold a
volunteer training for new volunteers from 5:30 to 9 p.m. on Tuesday and
Wednesday, April 17 and 18. Anyone interested can contact the Hospice volunteer
office at 280-0748 for an application and to register. Potential volunteers
must attend both sessions, which will be held at Niagara Hospice, 4675 Sunset
Drive, Lockport. Volunteers can choose to help in areas of their preference.

Niagara
Hospice served more than 900 families last year and more than 16,000 Niagara
County residents since 1988. Hospice is specialized care for the terminally
ill. Niagara Hospice provides support services to both the patient and family -
providing comfort, dignity and choice. For more information, call Niagara
Hospice at 439-4417 or visit www.NiagaraHospice.org.